Alright, let's talk about getting this Karcher power washer with the Honda engine running. First thing, I dragged it out of the garage. Thing's got some weight but the wheels help a lot.

Needed to get it set up. Hooked up my garden hose to the water inlet, made sure it was tight. Then connected the high-pressure hose to the outlet on the pump and snapped the other end onto the spray gun. Felt pretty solid.

Getting it Started

Checked the oil level first – always gotta do that with these Honda engines. Looked good. Then unscrewed the gas cap and filled it up with fresh gas. Put the cap back on tight.

Okay, time to fire it up. Flipped the engine switch to 'ON'. Pulled the choke lever over. Turned the fuel valve on. Grabbed the starter handle.

Here's the routine:

• Gave it one slow pull just to get things moving.
• Then a couple of good, strong pulls.

Boom, the Honda engine roared to life. Pretty loud, but that's expected. Let it warm up for maybe 30 seconds, then slowly pushed the choke lever back to the 'OFF' position. Engine smoothed out nicely.

Washing Time

Grabbed the spray gun. Squeezed the trigger first before starting the engine to get the air out of the hose – learned that trick helps. Picked a nozzle, I think I started with the green one, supposed to be a general-purpose tip. Snapped it onto the end of the wand.

Pointed it away from anything important and squeezed the trigger. Whoa, yeah, that's got some power. You feel it push back a bit. Started on the concrete patio, which was looking pretty nasty.

Just moved the wand back and forth, maybe 8-10 inches off the surface. The dirt and green stuff just melted away. It's kinda satisfying watching the clean path appear. Had to be careful not to get too close or stay in one spot too long, didn't want to etch the concrete.

Tried the white nozzle later for rinsing a wider area. Less intense pressure, good for covering ground quickly or washing the siding without blasting the paint off.

Wrapping Up

Once I was done washing, I turned the engine switch to 'OFF'. The engine shut down. Squeezed the trigger on the spray gun one last time to release any pressure left in the hose. Turned off the water supply at the spigot.

Disconnected the garden hose first. Then disconnected the high-pressure hose from the gun and the machine. Let the water drain out. Gave the machine a quick wipe-down, especially around the engine.

Rolled it back into the garage. Coiled up the hoses and hung the spray gun on the holder. Job done. Pretty straightforward process once you get the hang of starting the engine.